The Designhas taken a big step forward. Their lead singer, Kat Robichaud, is no angel nor is she a chanteuse when it comes to singing. Given her prowess behind the microphone it’s doubtful she’d have any trouble taking it on. She’s somewhere in between, with a heavy dose of guttural, soul wrenching timbre combined with a knack for slipping in the explosiveness of a Broadway performer.

Robichaud and the musicians that make up The Design, a Raleigh rock band that frequents the Wilmington area, often performing at Wild Wing Café (they perform this Saturday Feb. 4). The band has made their bread and butter playing established hits for wedding and bar crowds (not to mention the occasional Times Square gig) while mixing in their own material, notably from their first full length album “Laziest Perfectionist.”

Playing so many shows and covering songs is part of what Steven Tyler called faking it till you make it. Doing so has lent more to the band than crowds may be aware. One result is the musicians – drummer Bryan Smith, guitarist Mike Yaeger and bassist Kurtis Keber has become a well-oiled machine along with their singer, something that stands out in the production and showmanship of their new album “Young America.”

“Young America” is a very distant cousin to “Laziest Perfectionist.” Here the band is a quartet firing on all cylinders, burning through twelve tracks, each with different aesthetic musical choices. The songs are refined, singular and all pointed towards writing singles with no filler tracks except for maybe album opener “Scream.” They bear a polished rough and tumble sound that echoes the ‘90’s rock bombast and the ‘70’s for its soaring attributes. It’s an album that hints at influences without shoving them to the forefront, something that exudes confidence, not pandering.

“Young America” is absolutely a rock album with pop sensibilities, songs that stand on their own whether its all out rockers (“Red Alert”) or those more introspective (“When I Wake” with its great harmonies). The band’s songs insert shades of Salsa via rock guitar and drumming (“Get it Together”) or something right out of the 50’s but with modern delivery (the fun “Reckless Boys”). Robichaud sings, “I like boys who serenade me with the fire alarm/I like boys who make up for their history with charm.”

[youtube tmm2tpf6rPo]

“Sing Girl Sing” is a loaded gun, a mix of soul singing, old school dance floor grooves and rock ‘n roll attitude. On it Robichaud sings with a sultry, honey and rust covered voice that should please fans of Bonnie Tyler or Mary J. Blige. Yaeger might be the album’s MVP as he offers a buffet of guitar playing styles and sentiments. On “Don’t Stop Loving Me” his whammy bar reverberates wonderfully like a Japanese samurai flick, almost meandering into The Vapors familiarity. But here the guitar riff is a delicious Nile Rogers throwback (“Good Times”) that’s perfectly jangly and wanders into Santana territory. It’s a song that’s curiously, and equally posturing enough, to land on both rock radio and the dance floors.

Just as interesting is the intentionally short (two and half minutes) and barn-burning “Red Alert” that moves like Joan Jett in overdrive, singing the praises of primal urges and waking up “wearing only your t-shirt.” It’s a hot-headed song, one that might have been more interesting if done in a raw, single live take versus having the polish and occasional spoken vocal overdubs. Either way, it’s a fantastic song and definitely one to catch live (and hopefully very loud). Ditto the “Hunger Games” inspired “Burn” or title track “Young America,” a ferocious song right at home in a stadium or beer soaked bar. It’s ready-made for shouting, complete with a folding guitar riff and ode-to-80’s choruses. Reveling in primal needs as well, Robichaud sings, “I just want your number, I don’t need your name.”

For every raucous number there’s something that lands in sentimental category, like the Meat Loaf grandiosity of “You Don’t Have to Be Alone Anymore” or the could-have-easily-been-a-country song “When I Wake” that’s a show tune crossed with a mid 80’s ballad. Robichaud has a tendency to go to show tunes territory, holding notes and sounding airy. It works the majority of the time, especially when it’s on the softer side, like closing number “I’m Going Home” from “Rocky Horror Picture Show” which hints at a whole other side of the band.

Conscious or not, the songs seem aimed at everyone. Ultimately it succeeds. The only real slight is “Scream” whose lyrics about losing inhibitions and the band getting you laid come off dumb. It’s only purpose seems only to pump up mindless/sleepy people in the crowd. The band shouldn’t pander; they’re good enough to not have to.

There aren’t a lot of singers like Robichaud and few come to mind – Patty Smyth (Scandal), Johnette Napolitano (Concrete Blonde), Pink. But it’s Suze DeMarchifrom Australia’s Baby Animals who surely has to be a long lost family member because their vocals land so close together. It’s the elegant coarseness delivered with aplomb and sincerity that makes it shine. Still, Robichaud is no copy, unique in her own right as a rock and roll singer who knows how to slow things down. Experience has paid off and The Design seem aware of who they are as a band, both musically and emotionally, about what they want to make. If you’re at Wild Wing Café on Saturday ask them to play “Red Alert” for the crowd. And loud.

[…] powerhouse band returns, mixing up a batch of covers with explosive material from their current “Young America” album that’s a Kellogg’s variety pack of rock styles. While the band’s delivery of covers […]

About This Blog

The WAE: Wilmington-area Arts & Entertainment is dedicated to experiencing, discussing and promoting the arts in Southeastern N.C. From theater and all manner of music to visual art, dance, festivals and more, The WAE is populated by people who are immersed in local A&E. If it’s about A&E in Southeastern N.C., then we’re all about it.